Atari unlocks the door to its spooky mansion in releasing its Haunted House reimagining! This brand-new reimagining of an 80’s classic, first produced in 81′, breathes fresh life into the initial concept. Taking on the role of Lyn Graves, you search for your friends who were taken from your side by the ghastly figures that creep the halls of your Uncle’s mansion. However, its walls seem to shift and shape new paths each time you get knocked back to the start. Thankfully, each setback brings the opportunity to improve and recalibrate, giving yourself improved odds on your next scavenge mission with upgrades and reforming your crew.
Credit: Orbit Studio / AtariGameplay Breakdown
This adventure exploration promises to keep you on your toes! Make your way through your Uncle’s mansion, filled with priceless artifacts without a doubt collected throughout his treasure-hunting career. However, beware. These depraved horrors that encircle you trap your friends within their hallowed halls. While you’re given the ability and capacity for combat, this title never fails to remind you that you shouldn’t. Combat in Haunted House should be a strategy integrated into a stealth approach or used only as a last resort. The monsters that roam these halls will have little trouble overwhelming you and the nightlight you keep by your side.
Haunted House brings a major focus to its stealth components. Each creature may carry its own toolkit for detecting your presence. To hide from these ethereal jailers, one will have to become a ghost themselves. Learn to remain unseen and unheard by the presence that surrounds you. Keep to the walls and the edge of your seat, because the next attack might come right around the corner. You can never predict what might reveal yourself to the monstrosities that surround you.
As you explore the floors, collect riches to reinvest in yourself! Each failure offers the opportunity for newfound success with a shopkeeper ready and waiting to improve your gear! Improving your stats will be necessary to make your way further into this hellish labyrinth. Whether it’s improving health, gear, or growing your inventory, all bring their own advantages as you decide on what held you back in the past. Seeking your crew of friends trapped throughout the manor, even growing your squad will improve your chances of survival! Each member brings with them their own strong suits and advantages, so pick your leader carefully once you unlock that floodgate.
Credit: AtariFinal Thoughts
Haunted House recreates a beloved piece of the past with modernized features. This game excels at offering players options in their approach, with all the mechanics feeling smoothly intertwined. This game nailed the core of a good stealth game, which is that stealth is only an aspect of it. The player isn’t forced to take this approach, but instead encouraged through the disparity between these demonic powers and your own.
With each run offering a unique layout of the map, this rogue-lite promises to keep the game fresh each time you delve into its halls. With such a wide variety of creatures and different mechanisms to detect, it brings the stealth elements of this remake to life. The handful of ways in which you can improve your build through upgrades and refound allies makes each attempt bring a newfound excitement!
Haunted House is available for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, Nintendo Switch, Atari VCS, and for PC via Steam.
